Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications may refer to technologies that allow devices to communicate with one another over wired or wireless networks. An M2M device may include a sensor, meter, or other device that captures an “event” (temperature, inventory level, etc.), which is relayed through a network (wireless, wired, or hybrid) to an application that translates the captured event into meaningful information (e.g., items need to be restocked).
M2M applications are commonly deployed using wireless systems such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or Long Term Evolution (LTE). M2M devices using UMTS/LTE for machine communication can be found in a number of economic sectors, such as security, product tracking, health care, and remote monitoring and diagnostics.
M2M devices, in order to save power and minimize the use of network resources, may connect to a wireless network only when necessary to upload or download information. For example, an M2M monitoring device may connect to the network at a certain time each day, upload information relating to the connection, and disconnect. Some M2M devices, if unable to successfully connect to the network at its designated time, may simply retry to connect to the network, potentially indefinitely. Each connection attempt may undesirably use network resources, such as radio interface or other network resources.